


Breathe Each Other In

by caterpillargirl



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arthur's Return, Established Relationship, M/M, Merthur Party 2013, No one drowns here, Possible trigger: drowning, Post-Season 5 reincarnation, picking up off 5x13, prompt 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2013-12-29
Packaged: 2018-01-06 13:36:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1107481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caterpillargirl/pseuds/caterpillargirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He remembered Merlin’s head pushing against his hand, and Merlin’s forehead against his own.  He remembered wanting to tell Merlin, to show him how much he meant to Arthur.  He remembered trying to move towards Merlin, trying to get closer.  But the memories stopped there.  After that, nothing, not even darkness or coldness.  Not until now, not until here."</p><p>Arthur's first night after he returns from Avalon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathe Each Other In

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Team Purple](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Team+Purple), [Emryslin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emryslin/gifts).



> Dedicated to Team Purple and my wizard: Emryslin. 
> 
> Clearly, I'm still working through the end of the BBC series as this seems to continue heavily with that world. I can not write fluff, not yet. It's still too soon.
> 
> For Merthur Party 2013, Prompt 6: Just the Beginning.
> 
> Unbeta'd for now. My apologies for any proofreading errors.
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________________________

  
In the beginning there was nothing.

Then there was a thought: _It is time_.

 

 

Arthur’s lungs burned. He tried drawing a breath but there was no air. His eyes flew open. All around him was murky darkness. Water. He was underwater.

He swiveled his head and torso around, armor making his movements slow. A wave of panic took him, but just when he thought his lungs would burst, he noticed a light brown glow and pushed himself up towards it.

 

 

The first gasp was hard, loud, and dissolved into a fit of coughing. But the second was all air. Once his initial dizziness cleared, Arthur mentally checked himself over. He wasn’t hurt, but his breath was coming fast – too fast he thought. He didn’t know how far he’d have to swim and he needed to calm himself if he were to make it to shore.

After several minutes of deliberate breathing, he was able to take in air at a more normal rate without forcing it, well enough to make his way to shore without drowning again. His armor made the swim difficult and slow, but he was reluctant to shed even one piece in case he needed it during his return to Camelot, particularly as he was without a sword.

Once on dry land, Arthur fell over heavily onto his back and looked up. The first stars were appearing in the deepening blue of the sky. Evening time. Arthur knew he had to get a fire started and dry off before night fell, but it felt so good to simply lay still and feel his weight sink into the earth.

He let himself drift. Merlin could get the fire going. Arthur opened his mouth to call for Merlin before he remembered that he was alone. His brow wrinkled as he chased a memory: Merlin’s wrecked voice asking him to stay. Arthur couldn’t quite place when or even if that had happened, nor why Merlin sounded so broken. He remembered Merlin’s head pushing against his hand, and Merlin’s forehead against his own. He remembered wanting to tell Merlin, to show him how much he meant to Arthur. He remembered trying to move towards Merlin, trying to get closer. But the memories stopped there. After that, nothing, not even darkness or coldness. Not until now, not until here.

Sitting up, Arthur looked at his surroundings for the first time since he broke the surface of the water. The forest, glade, and lake looked vaguely familiar, but at the same time they looked like no place Arthur had seen before. It felt as though he was waking into a dream.

A sudden, hard shiver hit Arthur, bringing with it the realization that he needed a fire, and he needed it now. Stiffly, Arthur gathered some branches from the edge of the forest and managed to strike a spark. When the fire was steady, he removed his armor and sat as close to the fire as he dare, letting the heat dry his under layers.

The night was fully upon him now. Arthur would have to wait for the morning before he could look for Merlin and find out what had happened. Exhausted, Arthur settled into a more comfortable position. His clothes were starting to warm from the heat of the fire. By morning, he thought, they’d be entirely dry. As his eyes drifted shut, he heard a nearby branch shift, and then felt a warm body pressing up against his back and a blanket being wrapped around him. He smiled into a sigh, his eyes fully closed. Dropping his head down, he touched his lips to the arms that were now wrapped around his chest. The warm body moved around to Arthur’s front. Instinctually, he pressed his lips into the soft skin of a neck and inhaled the familiar, sweet scent of pine, wool and sweat.

His only coherent thought was _no neckerchief_.

 

 

“Arthur.” 

Arthur opened his eyes at rough, choked voice. He was met with a refreshingly familiar pair of blue eyes, wet and rimmed with red. Merlin slid his hands up the sides of Arthur’s face and touched his forehead and nose to Arthur’s. Arthur put his hands on Merlin’s neck. Two men breathed each other in.

Slowly and carefully, without breaking his gaze, Arthur traced Merlin’s mouth with his thumb, once, then twice around. On the third time, he pressed his thumb against Merlin’s bottom lip and before moving up to his tear-soaked cheeks and around his glistening eyes. He stroked Merlin’s eyebrows softly before pushing his hands back through Merlin’s thick hair. His fingers cradled the back of Merlin’s head as Arthur slipped his thumbs into the space behind Merlin’s ears. Arthur drew a silent breath when he felt Merlin press his head back into Arthur’s hands. Merlin’s lips parted slightly as he wet them with his tongue. Both men paused, as though daring the other to not be real. Then, Arthur pulled Merlin in hard. Merlin matched Arthur’s strength and the combined intensity knocked the breath out of both of them.

Teeth met teeth. Lips met lips. Chests and shoulders pushed into each other. They wrapped their arms around each other and held on tightly. Because that wasn’t enough, Merlin pressed his hips against Arthur, slotting in just above Arthur’s own hips. They pushed their bodies even closer, as though they could physically fuse their two bodies into one. They bruised each other with elbows, chins, and knees until they both were assured the other was not going anywhere. Their kisses were sometimes gentle and sometimes desperate, driven by fear as much as by joy. They didn’t talk that first night. They just held each other until they finally slept.

 

 

In the days, months, and years to come, Arthur will joke about Merlin’s strange new clothes that show off his neck. Merlin will hold Arthur as he weeps for Camelot, Gwen, and his knights. Arthur will recount his waking up in the lake and Merlin will tell him about his death. Merlin will bring Arthur to his home and show him how to work a cell phone and drive a car. He will make fun of Arthur’s lack of directional sense and his inability to trust the GPS. Arthur will repeatedly be amazed at how far Merlin’s cooking skills have progressed beyond hunter’s stew. Merlin will discover that Arthur is ticklish on the inside of his left thigh but not his right, and Arthur will enjoy bringing Merlin off simply by sucking on that soft spot where his ear meets his jaw. Merlin will sleep with his feet on Arthur’s calves, and Arthur will laugh each time Merlin forgets that Arthur knows about his magic. They will argue about small things like toothpaste in the sink, weeknights at the office, dinner dates with friends, sports teams, and laundry, but not over the important things – those they will sit and talk through. They will learn why Arthur has been brought back now of all times, and Merlin will cry when they realize that Arthur is not growing older this time around.

  
But that is for their future. Now they are still just at the beginning.


End file.
